Module 2: Perceptions, facts and fallacies Flashcards
What is the main source of indirect knowledge?
the media
How is Crime News influenced?
influenced by how crime is defined
When is there less crime news?
less crime news when crime is narrowly defined as a violation of criminal law
When is there more crime news?
when crime is broadly defined as all forms of social deviance
what is selectivity?
when the media presents a version of the crime that tells the story they want to portray
How does selective reporting affect society?
can lead to moral panics
What is newsworthiness?
criteria that determines newsworthiness,linked to news values
What are the main news values?
Prominence Timeliness Impact Proximity Novelty Conflict Contemporaneousness Human Interest
What is prominence?
media focuses on crimes that involve prominent people or organisations, such as actors or politicians
What is Timeliness?
media focus on crimes that occurred recently,
What is Impact?
media focus on crimes that have a higher impact on the audience, that impact a larger number of people
What is Proximity?
media focuses on crimes that are geographically closer to audience, or emotionally close to audience (happening to similar communities)
What is Novelty?
media focus on unusual or dramatic crimes, treat these crimes as common
What is Conflict?
stories that have 2 or more parties of conflict are more newsworthy
What is Contemporaneous?
media focus on stories that fit with current events or similar stories, try to link events which have common themes, despite the fact that they are unrelated
What is Human Interest?
media reports stories that show positive aspects of human behavior, may not contain other news values
What is a media crime frame?
media frames the story a certian way, presenting a particular pov, assisting the news stories limited space or time, unconsciously or consciously conveying a particular view
Framing
organising the story defining the problem diagnosing causes making moral judgements suggest remedies
What are the 5 principal news frames?
Fault criminal Justice Blocked opportunities Social Breakdown Racist System Violent Media
Faulty Criminal Justice Frame
people commit crime because the criminal justice system isnt effective, doesnt punish enough or is too focused on the rights of the offender
Blocked Opportunities Frame
people commit crime due to lack of opportunities to participate in society because they have a lack of opportunities, are in dire circumstances or victims of discrimination or social injustice
Social Breakdown Frame
People commit crime due to social ills such as decline in social values, morality and increased levels of divorce or family structures
Racist System Frame
people from ethnic and racial minorities are disproportionally caught and punished, or are more frequently wrongly arrested and convicted
Violent Media Frame
people commit crime, particularly violent crime, as a consequence of increased exposure to violent media
this frame is usually presented alongside other frames so media isnt portrayed as sole reason
What are the 3 models that explain the relationship between news values, selectivity and media frames and how people think about criminals and crime?
Effects Model
Functionalist Model
Institutional Model
Effects Model
people are directly effected by what they see and read
views consumers of media as passive and uncritical
consumers of media unquestionably believe the view of crime which they are presented
Functionalist Model
views consumers as active participants in media consumption
focuses on consumer engagement with media content for gratification
Institutional Model
media influence is via active subjective interpretation meditated by experience and perception
views media as powerful institution of social control
Government owned media
ABC and SBS are government Media outlets, government own media in australia
Community owned Media
community organisations are usually funded by government
Commercially owned media
privately owned and compete to make profit
Why is media ownership so important
decision making
democratic process
political influence
